Device for the Preparation of Flock Fibers to be Supplied to a Carder

Abstract

A device for preparing flock fibers has an inlet pipe, a pair of silos, a pair of feeding wheels, positioned on the bottom of each silo, an opening wheel, down-line of the respective feeding wheels, and a single conveyor roller, fed from the two opening wheels via converging pipes.

1 - 15 . (canceled) 
   
   
       16 . A batt-forming machine for flock fiber treatment, comprising:
 at least one inlet pipe for feeding fiber to be processed in a downstream direction;   a plurality of silos, each operatively connected to the input pipe, for accumulating fiber to be processed;   a plurality of processing areas, one downstream from each silo, each said area comprising:   (a) a pair of counter-rotating feeding wheels, disposed at the bottom of the silo, to feed parts of the fiber downstream,   (b) a rotating opening wheel, disposed downstream of the feeding wheels, said opening wheel comprising a plurality of elements protruding from the opening wheel and adapted to intercept the fiber fed by the feeding wheels, and   (c) a converging pipe, downstream of the opening wheel;   a rotating conveyor roller, towards which the converging pipes converge, said conveying roller having a surface with protruding elements to draw the fiber into rotation;   a rotating opening roller, disposed downstream of the conveyor roller and in the vicinity of the same so as to pick up at least part of the fiber transported by the conveyor roller; and   a single outlet pipe, fed by each opening roller, for feeding the processed fiber towards subsequent processing.   
   
   
       17 . The machine according to  claim 16 , wherein the converging pipes extend along intersecting axes. 
   
   
       18 . The machine according to  claim 16 , wherein the section of the fiber passage increases in the downstream direction. 
   
   
       19 . The machine according to  claim 16 , wherein the opening wheels rotate in the same direction. 
   
   
       20 . The machine according to  claim 16 , further comprising cleaning sets comprising at least one knife and aspiration opening, for example adjustable flaps, disposed in the processing area. 
   
   
       21 . The machine according to  claim 20 , wherein the conveyor roller is coupled to at least one said cleaning set. 
   
   
       22 . The machine according to  claim 20 , wherein the opening cylinder is coupled to at least one said cleaning set. 
   
   
       23 . The machine according to  claim 16 , further comprising fixed hinging elements disposed in the processing area. 
   
   
       24 . The machine according to  claim 23 , wherein the conveyor roller is coupled to at least one said fixed hinging element, downstream of the cleaning set. 
   
   
       25 . The machine according to  claim 23 , wherein the opening cylinder is coupled to at least said one fixed hinging element, upstream of the cleaning set. 
   
   
       26 . The machine according to  claim 16 , wherein the stretch of outlet pipe immediately downstream of the opening cylinder extends along an axis tangent to the opening cylinder. 
   
   
       27 . The machine according to  claim 26 , wherein the stretch of outlet pipe immediately downstream of the opening cylinder is horizontal. 
   
   
       28 . A batt-forming line comprising at least one machine according to  claim 16 . 
   
   
       29 . A batt-forming line comprising a machine set comprising:
 at least two machines made according to  claim 16 , each machine having an outlet pipe;   a feeding pipe that feeds the machines together;   an aspiration machine, connected to the outlet pipes.   
   
   
       30 . A batt-forming line comprising a plurality of machine sets according to  claim 16  in series.